Stand on the arched bridge in Dongpo Park and you can watch barges slide along the Grand Canal on one side while smaller waterways close in on the others, so the garden feels like an island. That mix of old water routes and new city life runs through Changzhou, and it is what makes a short stay here rewarding.
The city suits travellers who are already moving between Shanghai and Nanjing and want a stop with genuine sights rather than a transfer. It also works well for families, since the theme parks and the safari park are substantial attractions in their own right.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, with practical notes on how to combine them, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Changzhou
1. Tianning Temple
Tianning Temple is a Buddhist temple whose grounds go back to the Tang dynasty, and its 13-storey wooden pagoda, the Tianning Baota, is described as the tallest of its kind in the world. Even setting the claim aside, the pagoda has an impressive presence, and the temple is one of the largest Zen Buddhist temple and monastery complexes in China.
Entry is ¥80 and the site closes at 16:30 with no entry after 16:00, so arrive with enough time to walk the grounds before the gates shut. It sits a few hundred metres east of the Culture Palace metro station, and bus routes 220 and 903 stop nearby.
2. Hongmei Park
Hongmei Park is a large park of lakes, pavilions and gardens, with the Writing Pagoda at its southern end and the Red Plum Pavilion at the rear. Less sedate touches include goldfish in transparent tubes, a flamingo pond and an elevated walkway among the trees.
The park is open all day and entry is free, which makes it easy to pair with Tianning Temple next door. It lies a few hundred metres east of the Culture Palace metro station, at the corner of Guanhe East Rd and Xiaodongmen Rd.
3. Dongpo Park
Dongpo Park is a small but pretty garden named after the Song dynasty poet, artist and gardener Su Dongpo, who died in Changzhou. One side runs against the Grand Canal and the others against smaller canals, giving the impression of being on an island, and a second islet reached by an arching bridge holds a large DongPo academy hall fronted by a statue of the man himself.
The park opens from 05:00 to 21:00 and is free. The hall is a good place to watch boats run on the Grand Canal, and the remains of an imperial palace built for a visiting Emperor QianLong can be seen in the main garden, though little survives beyond the foundations and a few fragments of carved stone.
4. Song Dynasty pillars
About 100 metres south of Dongpo Park, fragments of a pair of pillars from a long-destroyed temple sit next to a minor canal parallel to YanLing Rd. They date from 979 and are estimated to have once stood 5 metres tall, though time has reduced the tallest to about 2 metres and the other to only a base.
The weathered carvings show layers of clouds, the ocean, mountains, rivers, protective deities and Buddhas. Since they are so close to Dongpo Park, they are worth a short detour on the same walk.
5. Canal 5 Creative Campus
Canal 5 occupies former factories turned into art studios, restaurants, think tanks, nightclubs and museums, preserving the history of the buildings while blending architectural salvage with restoration. It is a good place to step away from the fast pace of the city, with a setting that suits photography.
It is at 141 Sanbao Street in Wuxing Subdistrict, Zhonglou District, and you can take a tour boat here from Dongpo Park or catch bus no. 258. Across the street you can hop on a traditional boat and cruise the CZ river.
6. Changzhou Museum
Changzhou Museum is the city's main museum, located on the west side of Changzhou Civic Square. It is free to enter, and English tour guides are available for ¥100.
It opens Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00, with no entry after 16:00, and is closed on Mondays. It is 760 metres from the Civic Square metro station on Line 1, and bus routes 24, 213 and b12 stop just outside.
7. Dinosaur Park
Dinosaur Park is a dinosaur theme park with rides, dancing dinos and a collection of fossils, spread across themed areas. It is a family-oriented day out rather than a serious paleontology stop, which is worth knowing before you commit the time.
It is at 1 Hanjiang Road in Xinbei District and operates daily from 09:00 to 17:00. Tickets are ¥160 for afternoon entry only or ¥260 for a full day.
8. Yancheng Safari Park
Yancheng Safari Park is a wildlife park in Wujin District where you can drive your own vehicle through the grounds. Standard admission is ¥180, with reduced admission of ¥90 for people over 60 and children between 1.2 and 1.5 metres in height, and free entry for children under 1.2 metres.
It is open from 09:00 to 17:00. Driving your own vehicle costs an extra ¥200 for between 1 and 9 passengers, or ¥400 for more than 10. Take bus B1 to Yancheng Central Public Bus Terminal, or ride the metro to Yanzheng Avenue station and head west to Wujin Civic Square for the Jinhu bus line, which stops just outside the park.
9. The Lotus Building
The Lotus Building sits on an artificial lake in the suburbs of Wujin and is shaped like a lotus flower, made up of three lotus flowers in different shapes with the main body and petals built of steel. In the evening the building's lights change colour every minute.
It is closed on Mondays, so plan a Wujin day around that. Since it is in the suburbs, it pairs naturally with Yancheng Safari Park, which is also in Wujin District.
10. Writing Pagoda
The Writing Pagoda stands at the southern end of Hongmei Park. It was built in the Southern Dynasties Qi Gaozu Xiao Daocheng Jianyuan years, between 479 and 482, as part of a temple commonly known as tower temple, later renamed Taiping temple.
Because the temple resembled the style of writing, it also came to be called the style tower, and Changzhou literati treated it as a pen. Since it is inside Hongmei Park, you can see it on the same free visit.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Tianning Temple when it opens at 08:30, leaving time to see the pagoda and grounds before the 16:00 entry cut-off becomes relevant. Walk the short distance to Hongmei Park afterwards, open all day and free, and head to the southern end to find the Writing Pagoda.
Afternoon: Move on to Dongpo Park, open from 05:00 to 21:00 and free, and spend time on the islet watching boats on the Grand Canal. On the way, detour 100 metres south of the park to see the Song Dynasty pillars beside the canal. From Dongpo Park you can take a tour boat to Canal 5 Creative Campus, or catch bus no. 258, and spend the rest of the afternoon among the former factories.
Evening: Have dinner at Canal 5 Creative Campus, then cross the street to hop on a traditional boat and cruise the CZ river.
Frequently asked questions
When is Changzhou Museum open, and does it cost anything?
It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00, with no entry after 16:00, and closed on Mondays. Entry is free, and English tour guides are available for ¥100.
How do I reach Yancheng Safari Park without a car?
Take bus B1 to Yancheng Central Public Bus Terminal, or take a metro train to Yanzheng Avenue metro station and head west to Wujin Civic Square to catch the Jinhu bus line, which stops just outside the park.
What does it cost to visit Dinosaur Park?
Tickets are ¥160 for afternoon entry only or ¥260 for a full day. The park is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
Can I get to Canal 5 by boat?
Yes. You can take a tour boat to Canal 5 from Dongpo Park, or catch bus no. 258 instead. Across the street from Canal 5 you can hop on a traditional boat and cruise the CZ river.
Decide how much of your day belongs to the canal-side gardens and how much to the theme parks, then start building your itinerary around the opening times above.